


Day 4: Kagome Kagome

by UltimateProtagonistNerd



Series: HimiKiyo Week Content [4]
Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, New Dangan Ronpa V3: Everyone's New Semester of Killing
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Chapter 3 AU, Nonbinary Shinguji Korekiyo, Occult Themes, Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-07
Updated: 2020-12-07
Packaged: 2021-03-09 19:42:18
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,365
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27931702
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/UltimateProtagonistNerd/pseuds/UltimateProtagonistNerd
Summary: In the darkest hours on the fourth floor of the academy in one of the unused rooms several candles burned. The only source of light. A saw was laid down by the side of the sitting figure. A book was laid open in front of them. The next day would be the attempt at the Caged Child séance.Or; Kiyo is murdered and chapter 3 takes a different turn.
Relationships: Chabashira Tenko & Yonaga Angie & Yumeno Himiko, Harukawa Maki/Momota Kaito, Shinguji Korekiyo/Yumeno Himiko
Series: HimiKiyo Week Content [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2042371
Comments: 3
Kudos: 6
Collections: Completed stories I've read, himikiyo week





	Day 4: Kagome Kagome

**Author's Note:**

> Day 4 means we're back on the pain train.

_ Circle You, Circle You _

_ The Bird in the Cage _

_ When oh when will you come out _

_ When oh when will we meet _

_ At the end of night _

_ The crane and turtle slipped _

_ Who’s behind you? _

In the darkest hours on the fourth floor of the academy in one of the unused rooms several candles burned. The only source of light. A saw was laid down by the side of the sitting figure. A book was laid open in front of them. The next day would be the attempt at the Caged Child séance. Korekiyo was taking deep breathes and slowly getting up when the door creaked open from behind.

Kiyo turns in surprise, pulling up a board of wood from the floor, slightly panicked. “Who’s back there?” 

“You’re up quite late.” The newcomer’s eyes scan closer as they adjust to the light. “You should probably… stay here.”

A sudden painful pang from a hit under the sternum stopped Kiyo, causing them to drop the plank with a thud. Another strike hit but it pierced between two ribs. Kiyo’s arm grabbed the assailant with a surprising burst of strength.

To them it felt like the claw of a wild animal tearing at that flesh. So, they pulled out the knife and started letting Kiyo bleed out, scrambling away the culprit cried out in pain. The anthropologist still seemed like a threat even now, a threat that was crushed with a blow to the head with that board.

Even at this hour the terror of being caught filled the heart of Kiyo’s visitor. The victim wasn’t quite dead yet, and the application of some of their own gauze and some quick thinking stopped the bleeding for now staved it away.

But the culprit knew, deeply, that Korekiyo had seen their face. This story getting out and nobody knowing who to believe, that could ruin their standing with the rest of the class. So Shinguji’s fate was sealed in that moment. It was death, it HAD to be death and the culprit just needed to change the scene to distract from what really just happened.

The next morning everyone gathered for breakfast like any other day. Everybody except one, Himiko had quickly noticed. Not many people seemed worried about that. The discussion was all kinds of tiring small talk that annoyed her.

Tenko took note. “Did you sleep well last night Himiko? You look more tired than usual.”

“Hmm… oh yeah. I just noticed somebody’s gone. Someone who’s usually down here on time.”

The Aikido master glanced around the table; brows furrowed while counting heads. “Hmm. Not counting Tenko or Himiko-chan we have 9 others. That doesn’t sound weird to Tenko.”

“Nevermind, they’ll come down soon I bet.” Himiko looked down, already getting a gut feeling Kiyo wouldn’t be showing up again in the usual way. That feeling only got worse as a couple hours pass and the others FINALLY seem to start noticing the absence among them.

Shuichi and Maki agree to take an investigation party and do a sweep of the campus to turn up where Korekiyo was. The dorms proved fruitless, nobody standing watch on the first floor saw anything, and the 2 nd and 3 rd floors were seemingly empty. The build up to floor four just kept the knot in her stomach growing and growing. That’s when the hall with the unused empty rooms emanated some new things.

Burning incense likely from Kiyo’s lab? A creepy track gently drifting towards them with children’s voices singing some old rhyme out of key.

The group slowly opened the middle door after identifying where it was coming from and a cacophony of shock and horror was unleashed. Himiko’s face dropped and she shakily entered. She could hear Kaito behind her screaming not to go in, that it looks like a demon was summoned in there, and so on. His fear and hatred for that kind of stuff on full display as he wretched like he was about to throw up.

But to Himiko that noise just faded into the background. Maki could deal with him. Her head pounded. “No… no, this is all wrong. This can’t be real.” It was her worst migraine flare-up in recent memory. “This isn’t happening.”

In a circle in the center of the room was a corpse with a gold sword sticking up out of it, surrounded by the effigies of their previously deceased classmates. Kaede, Rantaro, Kirumi, and Ryoma were circled in various positions. All of them were distorted, slightly cracked, and brushed with blood. Smiles that would look forced and contorted on a real person. Kaede crawling, Rantaro kneeling, Ryoma standing facing away, and Kirumi almost bowing standing above. Like four cardinal directions of a fucked-up compass.

The dead person in the center was unmistakable. The silky dark hair splayed about, the green suit stained with blood, bandages sprawled out towards each statue, alternating between a clean white color and dirty blood-soaked splotches. Kiyo’s eyes were closed shut, and it was hard to tell what the facial expression was like under the mask.

Himiko went on autopilot and immediately singled out the members of the Student Council as likely suspects. Angie, Tenko, Mugi, even Kibo, all of them would have had the opportunity and a motive. They were henceforth “banned” from investigating the scene, even though she didn’t really have any way to enforce that. That was a pretty big chunk of people, but she didn’t care. When challenged on it “Shuichi and Maki can handle it.” Was all she’d insist.

It was best to just listen and calm down. She was clearly distressed by the crime. Even though several of her friends were hurt by the accusations they could be behind it, even Tenko held her objections in as she walked away back downstairs with a pout.

Himiko had to cool down in the hallway, standing guard by the door. On the opposite side of the door Maki was rubbing Kaito’s back and getting him to calm down as well. The mage traced the wall gently with her fingers. She thought back to the few times she did get to have alone time with the victim. She barely paid mind to any of the people coming or going this way or that for the investigation as the time began to pass.

Just like that, a budding relationship was taken because of the environment they were in. Because one of the others in here didn’t like or understand one of their classmates. Tenko was correctly keeping her distance, but Angie came by and lent her a shoulder. Himiko was too out of it to complain or push her away. So, she simply stayed there, being affectionately petted. “Atua says that Shinguji is now with the others and is doing well on the other side watching us right now!”

“Do you think so?”

“Angie doesn’t just think so, Atua has confirmed that knowledge. But Atua also says that Himiko has to help Saihara figure out what happened, for everybody’s sake. Atua will give you the power to do so.” The artist insisted.

Himiko sniffled, unsure of those words of encouragement, the mage was still suspicious of the other girl though she kept that down for the time being. “I guess...” It was then her attention drifted back to the pair on the opposite side of the door when Kaito finally spoke up.

“Why the hell did the creepy weirdo have to go and die in such a creepy way? There’s no way there’s… an actual ghost walking around or anything now. This has to be purposely fucking-“

“You take that back! Kiyo is not creepy!” she found herself yelling as she stomped up and dropped to a knee to look the astronaut in the eyes, fists balled up, threatening him by being well within swinging range.

“Okay alright, sheesh. I’m sorry. I don’t know what’s gotten into you.” He pouted, surprisingly sounding quite sorry, if only for offending her and Himiko sat there almost feeling bad she shouted at him like that.

“I… we hung out a couple of times okay, Kiyo was a good person.” She explained. “I just… All of you seem to have misunderstood them. Kiyo never really had… friends before.” They had opened up a little bit the last couple of days and learning that made her feel so much worse about how the others never trusted Kiyo. Himiko then went back in to talk with Shuichi and try to help, giving him testimony about when she last saw Korekiyo and her reasoning for who she thought was suspicious.

When the trio was investigating the body, Himiko ended up taking Kiyo’s locket and looking inside to find a face much like their own, it appeared to be a relative who must have been important to the Anthropologist. She sighed and held it close to her chest, wondering if this person was still out there somewhere, waiting for Kiyo to come back only to find out that would never happen. Unless… no, that would never work.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The trial came. Looking over at the portrait of Kiyo with the red mist painted across for the first time made her heart sink. She wasn’t able to look in that direction after catching just a single glimpse of it. Even if the face depicted was so pretty and kind, it hurt too much.

She started out spacey and quiet, chipping in here and there trying to be helpful. Each new piece of evidence the class went over though horrified her because the initial suspicion was unfortunately coming true. Suspects were ruled out until the only one it could possibly be was left. And when Shuichi told everyone who it was the mage sunk even deeper in despair than this case already had caused her.

“The culprit is you, Angie Yonaga, the Ultimate Artist. That is the truth of this case.” Shuichi pointed directly at the one he was accusing.

The islander girl smiled and clasped her hands, still laughing jovially for a few seconds before her face fell into a frown. “Yes. I did it.”

She sighed, tapping the handle of her brush against her chin, lips quivering. 

“Yes? A-angie you killed Korekiyo? But why…” Himiko trembled. “Why would you do something like that.”

“See, there is something you all must know. Kiyo was trying to murder *me* first. Atua warned me of the fiend’s murderous intent and protected us all.”

“No! You have to be lying!” Himiko slammed her hands on her podium, bangs dropping in front to cover much of her face. “Kiyo would never…” She shook her head. "They would never ever do that."

“I have the injury to prove it.” Angie interjected and dropped her top layer, revealing the slightly reddened mark on her shoulder left by a forceful grip the night before. “I did not want to do it, but it would have ended worse if I did not listen to Atua’s guidance.”

“Worse than me losing both of you to the killing game?” Himiko shot a glare in the Artist’s direction. Steadily trying to keep her breath steady. If she didn't it was a slippery slope to crying right then. The shadow cast by her hat would partial cover her eyes in case that did happen.

This pierced the culprit’s defense mechanism. Even if she could justify to herself attacking the victim in the middle of what appeared to be their murder plan, that excuse couldn’t work any more when it came to what she did after that. So for the first time, she broke and sobbed.

“No… no Himiko, I…” she was unable for a moment to begin coherently. “No. You’re right. This whole time I told myself and Atua that it was all for you guys. I admit though, I was selfish. Just like Kirumi I had wanted to get out.” She started laugh-sobbing at that, she meant no harm to the other students.

Every fiber of Himiko wanted to hate Angie because of how much of a betrayal this was. Not only had Angie ended up being hypocritical by wanting to keep everyone under control to be there forever while also desiring her own freedom, but Himiko was shocked Angie could do something so heinous, even if it was in a panic. Especially because of who it happened to. Even after this though she couldn’t hate, it just wasn’t in her. So she broke down too at her podium as Monokuma shouted the same stuff as before about voting time and his Cubs blabbered on about nothing in particular.

It weighed on her pressing the button. All votes were cast for the artist.

“Himiko. I have a divine message from Atua-”

Himiko wiped away wet streaks on her sleeve, looking up only to scowl at her. “I don’t need to hear anything from Atua. I need to hear from you, as a friend.” She wiped more tears away with her sleeve. “Please Angie. Please.” The mage pleaded.

“Himiko. From here on out, I want you to find meaning for yourself after my death. Always face forward. Use this to inspire you to make something beautiful out of this. And… and even though you probably don’t want a killer like myself to invoke my victim’s name but for what it’s worth, I believe Kiyo would agree wholeheartedly.”

Himiko also wanted to be mad at that too, mad like Angie anticipated. Even being numb like usual to everything being so terrible would have been preferable. Instead it was just more crying, and without even noticing she rushed across the courtroom for a final hug from her friend.

Hoping it would last even another moment was too much, as Angie was immediately yanked back. Himiko didn’t even watch the execution play out. She was already curled in on herself laying on the ground bawling. Unbeknownst to anyone else at the time, a note had been slipped into one of her pockets detailing where to find the hidden Necronomicon.

Himiko would only find it later, after waking up in her room. She smiled, hoping this meant what she thought it did. 

Could it really be?


End file.
